The Upper San Juan Health Service District
manager has accepted 30-day notices from eight employees of the Dr.
Mary Fisher Medical Center.

The employees, including both doctors, both
nurse practitioners and the center's administrative staff, turned in
their notices, effective May 2, to the district board on April 4. The
resignations were accepted by Dee Jackson, district manager, April
7.

"We are not going to allow the clinic to
close," she said. "We are not going to have any lapse of service."
Instead, Jackson plans to begin a search for new staff immediately.
Already, she said, she has scheduled one doctor, a woman physician
from Denver, to visit the district April 20. Four other resumes from
physicians interested in serving in southwest Colorado have also been
received.

"The staff will be replaced as I hire
people," she said.

According to a release provided by the
center staff, the decision to resign en masse was made in response to
recent communication and morale issues between employees, the
district manager and the board. "The board has failed to provide the
necessary leadership to resolve organizationwide staff concerns,
making continued employment untenable," the release stated.

Employees have voiced complaints about the
current administrator for several months. They have pointed to her
management style, calling it a "dictatorship," complained that she's
overstepped her experience and called her rude.

To give the employees a process for
addressing their complaints, the district board passed an
employee-complaint policy in December. In January, the board hired
conflict resolution specialist, Peg Christian, who came to the
district, interviewed employees and provided a report outlining the
problems and possible solutions as she saw them.

The report listed four areas of concern:
employee morale, management structure and process, interpersonal
professional relationships and quality of patient care.

Prior to her report, Board Chairman Dick
Babillis resigned. The report called for his resignation. Since then,
the board has passed a new organizational chart, directed Jackson to
move up work on employee job descriptions and discussed several
options for mediation and counseling. One other member of the board
has resigned.

Throughout the complaints, the board has
steadfastly refused to discuss individual employee problems or
resignations in board meetings, claiming confidentiality issues as
required by law. As of a special board meeting April 1, they said
they would no longer take public comment during meetings except
during regular monthly meetings.

They are currently working to fill the two
empty positions on the board and interviewed a total of six
candidates April 8. Following that meeting, several members of the
public complained about the board's lack of response to the clinic
employees' resignations and the board's refusal to take public
comment.

"Why did they resign?" several people in the
audience of about 30, mostly members of the public, asked.

"Talk to us," was another cry.

John Rieck came forward to stand in front of
the board, calling for them to do whatever necessary to keep the
current doctors employed by the district. He said patient care should
be the number one concern for board members and that meant keeping
the physicians who know the patients and the community.

"We want the doctors we have now," several
people said. "If management's the problem we need to get rid of
management."

District Manager Jackson said the time has
come to stop making health care a political issue. Several times in
the past few months patients have come forward with complaints about
having to listen to political problems while being served at the
clinic. What those patients wanted, she said, was to get quality
health care, not listen to problems.

Instead, it's time to look toward the
future, she said. She envisions possibly adding hours to the clinic
with the new staff and changing clinic organization to better serve
patients.

"April and May are historically our slowest
months," she said. "I look at it as a good time to step back, regroup
and move forward."

The clinic will remain open, she said.
Urgent care will remain open. On the other side of the street,
business at Emergency Medical Services will continue. Dr. Bob Brown,
one of the physicians with the Dr. Mary Fisher Medical Center who
turned in his 30-day notice, has agreed to continue to serve as the
EMS physician advisor until that position can be filled. That allows
EMS to continue to provide the current level of service.

Of course, there's no doubt change is in the
air. The theft of some narcotics from the medical center was reported
to the Pagosa Springs Police Department April 6. Investigation into
the incident will continue when a drug enforcement agency officer
arrives. Because of the thefts, Jackson said, locks were changed at
the clinic and after-hours access has been limited. However, she
added, key personnel, including the EMS operations manager do have a
key should ambulance personnel find themselves in a situation at
night where access is needed. EMS does currently have an open
position. Paramedic Mike Ferrell resigned March 20.

Jackson said she is currently looking to
fill the position with an EMT-intermediate. "It's just time to give
other EMTs who are growing in their certification a place in the
district," she said.

The district's medical center is one of two
medical clinics in Pagosa Springs. The other, Pagosa Family Medicine
Center, a private facility, is run by two doctors, Dr. Jim Pruitt and
Dr. John Piccaro. Piccaro said they have entered negotiations to hire
Dan Keuning, a family nurse practitioner, who was one of the eight
employees to hand in resignations at the Dr. Mary Fisher Medical
Center.

The Pagosa Family Medicine Center continues
to accept new patients. It is a private clinic, not affiliated with
the hospital district and does not receive public tax dollars.

According to the release from staff at the
Dr. Mary Fisher Medical Center, "planning is moving forward toward
establishing a new location to continue to provide quality medical
care to our patients."

The medical center employees have set a
public meeting for April 14 at 7 p.m. at the Pagosa Springs Community
Center to discuss the problems that led to the resignations.

The Upper San Juan Hospital District Board
has its next regularly scheduled board meeting April 15 at 5:30 p.m.
at the Pagosa Springs Community Center.

Mark Garcia tabbed as new town
administrator

By Tess Noel Baker

Staff Writer

The Pagosa Springs Board of Trustees didn't
have to look far to find themselves a new town administrator.

In fact, his desk sits about 20 yards from
the administrator's office.

Following a special meeting April 8, the
Town Board of Trustees voted to hire Mark Garcia to fill the position
vacated by Jay Harrington just last week - pending final contract
negotiations.

"We are really blessed to have this
opportunity," Mayor Ross Aragon said. "Mark has a good attitude, he's
bright and has a good work ethic. I've always heard nothing but
positive things about Mark in the community." Hiring a qualified
person from within also allows for some continuity in the
process.

Garcia currently serves as the town's
building, geothermal, planning and land use supervisor. He has worked
for the town for 8 1/2 years and has a bachelors of science in
mechanical engineering from the University of New Mexico. He lives in
Pagosa Country with his wife Jean and two children, Jacqueline and
Kyle.

He said moving into the position of town
administrator is an exciting opportunity. "I'm happy to try to fill
Jay's big shoes," he said.

Harrington announced he had accepted the
position as the town manager of Telluride at the regular town board
meeting April 1. He is leaving Pagosa Springs after a decade as the
town administrator. His last day is May 16.

Garcia's contract will most likely begin May
1 to give some time for the transition.

"I couldn't even imagine a smoother
transition," Aragon said. "It's one of those opportunities that's
made to order."

Home rule given 43-11 edge in
minuscule turnout

By Tess Noel Baker

Staff Writer

And the voter's say - go ahead and take a
look at home rule. At least a few of them do.

Just 54 out of about 910 voters in the
Pagosa Springs town limits came out Tuesday for the special election
on home rule. The measure passed 43-11.

"I was a little disappointed with the lack
of interest," Mayor Ross Aragon said. "We tried several different
ways to try to stimulate some interest - from articles to a public
forum - but to no avail. However, it also gives me a good feeling to
know people trust us and trust what we're doing."

Home rule is an option for local government
organization under the Colorado state constitution which allows
communities flexibility in structuring local government by writing
their own town charter.

Currently, Pagosa Springs is a statutory
town. Everything from the number of trustees, the structure of town
government, election procedures to taxation options is dictated by
state law. No flexibility is available.

Now that voters have given the town approval
to begin looking at home rule, a committee of citizens, the charter
commission, will begin meeting to write a document or charter that
could replace the state statutes as far as local issues go. For
instance, Pagosa's charter might set up voting precincts or wards, an
option currently not available to the town.

The charter will come before voters sometime
in November. Only by approving that charter will voters make Pagosa
Springs a home rule community. Otherwise it will remain a statutory
town.

Voters approved a slate of six charter
commission members along with giving the town the go-ahead to form
the commission Tuesday. These include current town board members
Darrell Cotton, Judy James, Bill Whitbred, Jerry Jackson, Mayor Ross
Aragon and community member John Steinert. Ralph Davis received one
write-in vote.

The commission is required by law to have
nine members. The empty seats will be filled by appointment. The
commission's first workshop is slated for April 16 at 5 p.m.

The vote will be made official following a
canvass Wednesday.

Weather

Date High Low Precipitation

Type Depth Moisture

4/2

55

27

-

-

-

4/3

49

23

-

-

-

4/4

51

18

-

-

-

4/5

53

23

-

-

-

4/6

47

22

R

-

.02

4/7

47

21

-

-

-

4/8

61

14

-

-

-

April showers expected after
weekend sun

By Tom Carosello

Staff Writer

While sustained breezy conditions lowered
wind chills into the single-digit range across some parts of Pagosa
Country early last week, recent bouts of sunshine enabled many area
residents to resurrect spring wardrobes and venture outside in shorts
and shirtsleeves.

Mostly-sunny skies and the warmest
temperatures of the year thus far are anticipated through the weekend
before the chance for precipitation returns early next week.

According to Gary Chancy, a forecaster with
the National Weather Service office in Grand Junction, a low-pressure
system moving in from the West Coast should arrive in the Four
Corners region sometime Monday.

"This looks like a pretty strong little
system," said Chancy. "It's not extremely cold, but very deep, and
should stick around for two or three days and put down some light
rain or wet snow across the state.

"The system will drop down the coast of
California before being swept eastward Sunday. Chances are southwest
Colorado will begin to see some precipitation by Monday evening.
Otherwise, things stay warm for the weekend."

According to Chancy, sunshine should persist
throughout today and skies should remain clear overnight. Highs
should peak in the mid to upper 60s; lows should descend into the
mid-20s to low 30s.

Friday's forecast calls for continued sun in
the morning and a few clouds in the afternoon. Highs should reach the
upper 60s and nighttime lows should drop into the low 30s.

Saturday and Sunday boast twin forecasts
calling for mostly-sunny skies, highs in the mid-60s and lows ranging
from 25-35.

There is a 20-percent chance for
late-afternoon or early-evening rain/snow Monday; high temperatures
are predicted in the 50s. Lows should fall into the mid-20s.

The forecasts for Tuesday and Wednesday
include a 30-percent chance for evening snow showers and daytime
rain. Highs are expected in the upper 30s to upper 40s; lows are
predicted to dip into the low 20s.

Area lawns and gardens are slowly beginning
to mature due to adequate ground-moisture levels, however the U.S.
Department of Agriculture's drought rating for the region continues
to be listed as "extreme."

The National Allergy Bureau rates area tree
pollen counts as "moderate to high." Pollen counts for weeds and
grasses are categorized as "absent to low, " and mold spore counts
are rated as "low."

Last week's high temperature, 63, was
recorded Wednesday afternoon. Last week's low of 14 was recorded
Tuesday night. Precipitation last week, recorded Sunday as wet snow
and rain, amounted to two-hundredths of an inch.

River flow as measured in the San Juan River
south of town ranged between 150-300 cubic feet per second last week.
The river's historic median flow for this time of year is
approximately 800 cubic feet per second.

Sports Page

Parks &
Rec

Park restrooms now open for
summer season

By Joe Lister Jr.

SUN Columnist

The seasonal restrooms in Town Park and
South Pagosa Park were opened this week.

Summer hours at the facilities will be 8
a.m-8 p.m. We try to have them open April through October, depending
on the cold spells we get and when we have to clear the lines in
October.

There are two locations where restrooms are
open year-round - one in the bell tower in the new park at 5th and
San Juan streets which is geothermally heated and open 24 hours a day
- the other adjacent to the fishing ponds in River Center Park. The
second restroom is open 24 hours a day but has no electricity.

Downtown parks are very popular places to
exercise dogs and we furnish dog mittens at both Town and Centennial
parks. Please pick up after pets. We all like to enjoy our parks, so
please help keep them clean.

Work day

The skate board contingent in town is trying
to organize a work day to complete the final phase of the skate park
addition to South Pagosa Park.

We encourage all skaters, bikers and park
enthusiasts to sign up for the volunteer effort.

Hopefully, we will be able to tie in a grand
opening, some free food and prizes to the formal opening of the skate
park. Watch for more information as we get everyone lined up for the
event.

April events

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. To
commemorate victims, the department has put plastic flowers at the
bell tower in the center of town. They were made by supporters of
victims and families who are affected each day by sexual assault
crimes committed in our country.

We would like the public to know the
symbolism of the flowers, and know we are committed to help maintain
the public's awareness of sexual assaults.

Saturday, from 9 a.m.-2 p.m., a free
demonstration of yoga will be staged in Town Park by Lyniss Steinert.
She will host the World Tai Chi and Qi Gong Day. All are welcome to
attend a free demonstration. For more information call her at
264-2831.

Saturday is the last day to sign up for the
district-sponsored baseball. All athletes, from T-ball through
players 11-12 years old need to sign up by 5 p.m.

We will host the monthly advisory board
meeting April 16 at 5:30 p.m. and will vote on an arts council
recommendation for a bronze sculpture to be placed at the bell tower.
Also to be discussed are the raw water feed for irrigation, a sports
complex update and facilities use.

Adult basketball is winding down and
tournament games are on tap the next 10 days. Call 264-4151, Ext. 232
for more information on teams and game times.

Boys track team claims
first-place trophy

By Tess Noel Baker

Staff Writer

It's a first first.

The Pagosa Pirates boys' track team overcame
wind, chilly temperatures and the competition at the Bobcat Relays in
Aztec Saturday to take top team honors. It is, head coach Connie
O'Donnell said, the first championship team trophy in Pagosa boys'
track history.

To win it, the team pulled through with some
stellar individual performances and top relay efforts, placing in
nearly every event.

Jason Schutz set the example for the team,
earning three individual first-place medals. The senior blistered
past the competition with a 11.28 second finish in the 100-meter
dash. In the 200, he came up with the win in 23.07. Schutz captured
his third first-place on the day in the discus, throwing 138 feet.

To round out his efforts, Schutz combined
with teammates Otis Rand, Danny Lyon and Jeremy Buikema to earn a
second place finish in the 1600 relay with a time of 3 minutes, 48.5
seconds.

"He is a very talented athlete, but he also
works hard to improve during practice," O'Donnell said. "He is a
great example to some of our younger kids."

Junior Aaron Hamilton also put in a strong
performance on the day, winning the 800 and placing in two other
events.

Hamilton broke the tape in the 800 with a
time of 2:12.7 to win. He placed second in the mile with a time of
4:56.76 and fifth in the two mile run, crossing the line in
11:42.

"He had a long day of races and he just kept
going," O'Donnell said. "He ran his last race just as strong as his
first race. I'm really proud of his efforts."

The final individual first-place finish was
posted by sophomore Otis Rand, who blew past the competition, beating
his personal best by four seconds, to take the top spot in the 400
with a time of 54.32.

Rand combined with Armijo, junior Clayton
Spencer and sophomore Junior Turner to claim second in the 800 relay
with a time of 1:35.1.

Third-place finishes came from Buikema, who
posted a time of 56.01 in the 400; and senior Lyon with a 18-foot,
7-inch leap in the long jump, beating teammate Turner by three
inches. Turner came up with his own third-place leap in the triple
jump, launching himself 38-2 to add points to the team score.

The team racked up even more numbers in the
400 with a fourth-place time of 57.93 from Lyon and a fifth-place
finish by sophomore Manuel Madrid.

Teammate Jared Kinkead claimed fourth place
in the 200, crossing the line in 24.48. He joined Armijo, Aupperle
and Turner in the 400 relay for a second fourth-place finish in
48.09.

Other points came from Steven Henderson who
posted a fifth-place finish in the 300 hurdles and Samples with a
sixth-place showing in the 800.

The relays were run at Aztec because the
Bloomfield track was incomplete. Friday, part of the team, girls and
boys, will leave for the two-day Pueblo Challenge Cup at Dutch Clark
Stadium in Pueblo. O'Donnell said some of the Pirates will have to
stay behind because only two entries per school per event are
allowed.

"It is run much like the state track meet in
May," she said. "A big meet like this is going to help prepare us for
the rest of the season."

Lady Pirate tracksters paced by
freshman

By Tess Noel Baker

Staff Writer

The Pagosa Springs girls' track team
continued to build on the start of their season, going up against
tough competition at the Bobcat Relays in Aztec Saturday to finish
fifth as a team.

Head coach Connie O'Donnell said she was
pleased with many of the girls' performances, including those of
freshman Emilie Schur who closed out the day with three top-three
finishes.

Schur broke Pagosa's school record in the
mile, winning the race in 5 minutes, 41.1 seconds. She finished
second in the 800-meter dash, crashing through the tape in 2:39, and
added a third-place finish on the day in the two-mile race, claiming
a time of 12:47.7.

The team's other top-three finish came from
the 1600-meter relay team of Alex Rigia, Katie Bliss, Ashley Wagle
and Amanda McCain. The seniors crossed the finish in second place
with a time of 4:56.9.

The 400 relay team of sophomores Marlena
Lungstrum and Janna Henry and freshman Mia Caprioli and Nikki Kinkead
finished fourth with a time of 56.9.

Fifth-place finishes were recorded by the
800 relay team of Rigia, Kinkead, sophomore Mollie Honan and senior
Katie Bliss, Honan in the 100-meter hurdles and junior Roxanna Day in
the pole vault.

Day's fifth-place 7-foot pole vault effort
was another school record for Pagosa Springs.

"She is the first female pole vaulter in
school history," O'Donnell said. "She has also worked very hard at
her event. She has to travel to Bayfield three days a week because we
do not have a pole vault coach."

Adding points to the team tally with
sixth-place finishes were Honan in the 300 hurdles, Wagle in the 400
dash, freshman Drie Young in the 800, McCain in the two-mile run,
Rigia in the triple jump and Caprioli in the long jump.

Pirates open IML play with
sweep of Centauri

By Richard Walter

Staff Writer

Coach Tony Scarpa, working the third base
box, had his arms busy waving runners around or holding them
tight.

That action came as 41 of his Pagosa Springs
Pirates found their way on base in one way or another as they swept a
doubleheader from Centauri Saturday at home.

Under partly cloudy skies and playing in a
chill wind, the Pagosans captured the opener 11-5 behind Josh Stone
and took the second tilt 13-6 with Jarrett Frank getting the win
thanks to a strong closing effort by Ben Marshall who fanned six in
two and a third innings.

The sweep pushed the Pirates' season record
to 6-1, the lone loss coming to Class 4A Cortez on the latter's home
field.

Game 1

Stone got three of his 14 strikeouts in the
first inning, whiffing Ken Schell and Miguel Ortiz before Vicente
Govea reached on an error.

Stone struck out Craig Booth, his mound
opponent, to get out of the inning.

Then, leading off for Pagosa, he grounded
out to second. Sophomore designated hitter Marcus Rivas drew a walk
from Booth and was balked to second.

Catcher Ben Marshall drove Rivas home with a
double to center. He, however, was left at second when Lawren Lopez
fanned and Frank popped out to second.

Stone looked invincible in the second,
striking out Lance Mueller, getting Levi Torres to ground back to
Lopez at first and then fanning T. Vargas.

His teammates got him a second run in their
half of the second. David Kern grounded out to second to open the
frame, but Jeremy Caler was hit by a pitch and promptly stole second.
Levi Gill was out on a fly ball to center but right fielder Matt
Mesker picked him up with a single to left driving in Caler. He was
then cut down at second trying to steal.

Stone's penchant for having one bad inning
was about to begin.

Eric Armenta opened the third grounding to
first but then Nathan Lucero walked, Schell reached on an outfield
error and Ortiz walked. Govea delivered two runs with a single to
right and then Booth hammered a hanging high curve over the left
field fence for three more markers.

Mueller walked and Stone hit Torres with a
pitch before settling down to fan Vargas and Armenta to escape the
carnage.

Suddenly down 5-2, the Pirates responded
with four of their own in their half of the third.

Stone started it with a single to center and
advanced to second on an errant pick-off throw by Booth. Marshall
singled him in and moved up when Lopez dumped a short fly between the
shortstop and left fielder.

Lopez was out at second on a fielder's
choice by Frank. Kern drew a pass and Caler gathered the runners with
a line single to right center before Levi Gill was out on a great
catch by a diving Mueller in left field. Pagosa had the lead back at
6-5 and were not to be scored on again.

Armenta fanned to open Centauri's fourth and
Schell grounded to short. Ortiz singled to center and Govea walked,
but Booth hit into a fielder's choice and Stone was out of the
inning.

After Mesker fanned to open the Pirate
fourth, Stone followed suit.

With two down, Rivas reached on an error by
the third baseman, Marshall singled him to third and Lopez was hit by
a pitch to load the bases.

Frank delivered two runs with a ringing
single to center before Kern grounded to short to end the
uprising.

Torres opened Centauri's fifth with a single
to right, but Stone, back in the groove, fanned Vargas, Armenta and
Lucero on 12 total pitches.

Caler reached on an error to open the fifth
and moved up on Levi Gill's single. Both advanced on a wild pitch
before Zeb Gill, batting for Mesker, grounded to short.

Stone singled to aid his own cause and moved
all the way to third when his shot was misplayed in center. He scored
on an error by Vargas. Marshall walked and was balked to second but
Lopez fanned to end the inning.

Schell grounded out to third to open the
Centauri sixth. Ortiz walked and Govea flied to left. With Booth at
the plate Centauri's hopes soared. But Stone was up to the challenge,
getting him on strikes.

With Schell on the mound in relief of Booth
in Pagosa's sixth, Michael Dach grounded to short batting for Frank,
Kern struck out and Terry McAlister, grounded to third batting for
Caler.

Stone opened Centauri's seventh getting
Mueller to ground to first and striking out Torres. He then issued
consecutive walks to Vargas and Armenta before fanning Lucero to end
the game, having surrendered five runs on only four hits and striking
out 14.

Game 2

With Jarrett Frank on the mound for Pagosa,
Centauri jumped to a quick 2-0 lead but would be out of contention
before the next inning was over.

Schell opened with a fly to right. Ortiz
singled, moved up on a passed ball, and stayed at second as Govea
walked. Booth was hit by a pitch but cut down at second on a double
steal attempt. Mueller walked and Torres singled to drive in a run
and then Armenta walked before Lucero struck out to give Centauri a
2-1 lead.

It quickly disappeared when Pagosa answered
with a four-run rally. Stone opened it with a single to left and went
to second when it was misplayed, moved up on a wild pitch and scored
on Rivas' ground rule double. After Marshall walked, Lopez struck out
but Caler singled to center. Kern grounded out to short but Frank was
safe on an error and Pagosa had another run. Clayton Mastin struck
out to end the inning with Pagosa up 4-2.

Centauri tied it in the second with a pair
of singles, by Doyle and Schell, an errant throw by Frank, a ground
out to second, a sacrifice fly by Govea and a single by Booth before
Mueller popped to first to end the inning.

Pagosa took the lead right back in their
half of the second despite both Levi Gill and Stone popping out to
open the frame. Rivas reached on an error at third, ending up at
second. Ben Marshall singled him home and then advanced on a wild
pitch. Lopez delivered the second run with a single to left before
Caler lined out to first.

Frank hit a good groove in the third,
getting Torres on a come-backer, fanning Armenta and getting Lucero
on a foul pop to first.

And then his teammates put the game
away.

Kern opened the Pagosa third beating out an
infield single. Frank walked, Mastin reached on an error, Levi Gill
was aboard on a fielders' choice, and Stone walked before Mesker
popped to the pitcher. Marshall delivered a pair with a double and
Lopez followed with a double of his own. Caler reached on an infield
single but Kern, tenth man to bat in the frame, popped to the
catcher.

Pagosa had an 11-4 lead and Frank set the
Falcons down quickly in the fourth on a strikeout and two
popups.

Pagosa threatened in their half of the
inning but could not push in the run. Zeb Gill grounded to third,
Mastin singled and stole second. Levi Gill drew a walk. Stone popped
to the catcher for the second out and Rivas bounced to third.

After having retired nine of the previous 10
batters, Frank seemed to weaken in the Centauri fifth.

Govea led off with an infield single, Booth
singled to left and Mueller struck out. Torres walked and Armenta
grounded to second, one run scoring. When Lucero drove in another
with a single to right, Scarpa went to the mound.

His decision was to bring Ben Marshall to
the mound in relief, put Rivas behind the plate and move Frank to the
outfield.

Marshall quickly got the third Centauri out,
fanning Doyle.

The Pagosa fifth opened with Ben Marshall
singling. His brother, Travis, drew a walk as a pinch hitter for
Lopez. McAlister singled and Michael Dach, batting for Kern, doubled.
Frank was out on a fly to left and freshman Josh Hoffman popped to
first batting for Mastin.

Schell reached on an error to open the
Centauri sixth but was thrown out by Rivas attempting to steal. Ortiz
fanned and Govea reached on an error before Booth struck out to end
the inning.

Levi Gill grounded to first to open the
Pirate sixth. Stone popped to short but Rivas doubled to center, only
to die there when Ben Marshall grounded out.

Centauri's hopes were fired in the top of
the seventh when Mueller singled. But it was to be the only hit
Marshall surrendered. He followed it up by fanning Torres, Charles
Ruybal as a pinch hitter for Armenta, and then Lucero to close out
the 13-6 Pagosa victory.

It was shortly after 5 p.m. and the first
pitch had been thrown at 11 a.m.

The win put the Pirates season record at 6-1
and the IML mark at 2-0. They are scheduled to host Salida in a
nonleague tilt Saturday before returning to league wars with a
doubleheader at Bayfield against the highly regarded Wolverines April
12.

After more than four hours on a bus you
arrive at the playing field just 10 minutes before game start is
scheduled.

You are allowed extra time to warm up and
get the travel kinks stretched out.

And for one half of high school soccer, you
play shutout style, scoring once yourself and showing a deep defense
that thwarts the hosts.

Then, the reality of all the travel sets in
along with a stiff wind at the opponents' backs, and your lead fades
away.

Still, you aren't done. You battle back,
closing to within a single goal but are unable to get the equalizer
and bow 4-3.

That, in a nutshell, is the story of
Monday's trip to Ridgway by the Pagosa Springs Lady Pirates soccer
team.

Of course there was more to it than that.
The Pirates found a new scorer, with an old name.

They got defense from the usual sources but
lost it when the prevailing wind led attackers better than their
teammates.

They got continued scoring from
seniors.

And they got to keep their frustration with
play against the Ridgway Lady Demons.

First, the game had originally been
scheduled March 1 but was wiped out by snow on the Ridgway
field.

As late as 10 a.m. Monday, after another
snowstorm in Ridgway, there were indications the game was still on,
but might be played in Montrose where a field had been
reserved.

As the bus plied its way west, then north
over Lizard Head Pass (Red Mountain was closed for avalanche control)
Ridgway officials were clearing snow from their new field.

They did an excellent job and it was
playable, if covered with the leavings of an apparent herd of grazing
deer.

In fact, as the game wore on, a herd of elk
appeared to the south and grazed as spectators for the balance of the
game.

The name Hilsabeck has been associated with
Pagosa soccer for the past three years as Meagan, now a senior, paced
the Lady Pirates and was three times and all-conference
player.

It was obvious from the beginning that her
reputation had preceded her. From the outset she was double- and
triple-teamed by Demon defenders.

But, unphased by the attention, she became a
passer.

The Hilsabeck name was the first into the
scorebook. But it wasn't Meagan getting the marker.

She got the assist.

It was her freshman sister, Jennifer, who
scored from the left wing after Meagan broke out of the defensive
ring around her and dropped a crossing pass to Jennifer who had just
entered the game.

Her drive beat Ridgway keeper Eva Duce to
the right corner and Pagosa had a 1-0 lead at 8:56, a margin they
would nurse into halftime.

Keys to that first half were stout defense
by Jenna Finney with six block-takeaways, Sarah Smith and Tricia
Lucero each with two, and Bret Garman and Kyrie Beye with one
each.

Pagosa keeper Sierra Fleenor had two saves
in the half as Pagosa kept the Demons at bay.

Ridgway's best scoring opportunity came on a
penalty kick by Amy Trehal with 42 seconds remaining that sailed left
and nicked the corner post as it caromed out of bounds.

Ridgway coaches drilled their team at the
break on taking advantage of the wind at their backs in the second
half and they took the instruction to heart.

With just 1:21 gone in the half, right
winger Leah Kropenske knotted the count, scoring unassisted as an
outlet kick soared over the defense and she took it all alone to the
net.

At 46:35 Finney had another takeaway but
Pagosa lost the ball at midfield and Ridgway's Kelsey Bennett scored
from 10 yards out to give Ridgway the lead at 2-1.

At 48:46, Ridgway's Lacy Marquardt hiked the
lead to 3-1 with a score off another windblown lead.

Less than two minutes later, Fleenor made a
double stop on a Ridgway breakaway, first batting aside Kropenske's
bid for a second goal, then stopping a rebound effort by Ridgway's
all-conference striker Parker Fragelius.

But, at 53:00, Burnett scored on a lead from
Kropenske and the margin grew to 4-1.

The Lady Pirates were not yet done,
however.

At 61:02 midfielder Sara Aupperle was felled
by a Ridgway defender and awarded a penalty shot.

She converted to the upper right corner and
the lead was down to 4-2.

Pagosa began to apply the pressure. Beye was
wide left on her first shot attempt of the season as the Lady Pirates
swarmed the offensive zone. Then it was Brittany Corcoran ripping a
drive from 20 yards that was tipped aside.

Still attacking and repeatedly stealing
Ridgway passes, Pagosa got within one goal at 69:06 when Meagan
Hilsabeck recorded her ninth of the season, converting a rebound of a
shot from the short right side by Bri Scott.

Two minutes later Meagan was stopped on a
point blank drive on a lead pass from her sister.

At 77:30 Meagan was felled, taking a drive
off the leg of Aupperle in the abdomen as she attempted to get out of
the way.

With her breath knocked out, she was helped
from the field, but returned after less than a minute.

The tide had turned, but could not wash the
margin away as Ridgway went to the wire holding onto the 4-3
victory.

The fate of the Lady Pirates soccer team
will be decided in the next six days.

The club, because of early cancellations and
late scheduling changes, plays five games in six days, starting
today.

The 5 p.m. clash with Cortez at Golden Peaks
Stadium today, is the only one of those games which will not count in
league standings.

Tomorrow, the Ladies host Ridgway in a 4
p.m. game and on Saturday entertain Center in a noon start.

Monday will feature a home game against
Bayfield, starting at 4 p.m. and, on Tuesday, Ignacio will be in town
at 4 p.m. for the final home game of the regular season.

Pagosa will play Salida in Salida at 4 p.m.
April 18 and will close out their league schedule April 26 with a
noon game in Center.

The league champion will draw a bye in
opening round playoff action, the second place team playing number
five and third place meeting number four.

Sixth and seventh place teams in league
action will be eliminated.

Dates and sites for league playoff action
have not been set.

Pirates fall 15-12 to Salida in
Bayfield contest

By Richard Walter

Staff Writer

The Salida Spartans hit early, gave up the
lead to a strong Pagosa Springs Pirates attack, then parlayed one big
inning into a 15-12 victory over the Pirates Saturday.

The game had been scheduled as a home
contest for Pagosa, only the second of the season, and just one of
three on the books.

It ended up being played on the Bayfield
High School field after a confusing series of events, including the
apparent resignation of at least one Salida coach and the defection
of several players.

Still, the visitors opened with a two-run
first inning against Pagosa starter Jarrett Frank, and added three
more in the second.

But, by the end of that second frame they
found themselves trailing and when Pagosa plated five more in the
third most would have expected the Spartans to fold.

Instead, they came back with a pair of their
own in the fourth but still trailed 11-7 as the fifth inning opened
with Lawren Lopez on the mound for Pagosa.

Before the inning had ended, Salida had sent
12 men to the plate and scored eight runs.

Pagosa got one back in their half of the
fifth but could muster no more offense after that.

As the clouds moved in, the winds whipped
out to right and the temperature fell into the low 30s, the Pirate
bats went silent as a parade of Salida hurlers shut them down.

Salida went on to drop the nightcap of the
three-team doubleheader by an 11-1 score to Bayfield.

Second baseman Mike Phillips got the game
going for Salida with a single to center and stole both second and
third while Frank was getting Robin Gerlach on strikes and Rich
Taylor on a comebacker to the mound. Third baseman Brian Smith drove
in Phillips with a double to right, left fielder Dale Jones walked,
and first baseman Adam Pierce singled in Smith. Andy Winter flied to
left to end the inning with Salida holding a 2-0 lead.

It was a short-lived margin, however.

Pagosa's Zeb Gill, the designated hitter,
drew the first of his three walks in the game, stole second and went
to third on a passed ball.

Marcus Rivas, playing in right field at the
start, also drew a walk. Josh Stone singled to drive in the first
Pagosa run but Ben Marshall fanned.

Lopez, playing first to open the game, hit
into a fielder's choice, bouncing to the first baseman who cut down
Rivas at third, with Stone advancing to second. He moved up on a balk
by Salida starter Taylor and scored on a single to center by Jeremy
Caler with Frank advancing to third. He scored the lead run on a
throwing error by the pitcher on David Kern's dribbler back to the
mound.

When second baseman Levi Gill struck out as
the ninth man to bat in the frame, Pagosa had a 3-2 lead.

Salida's Derek Schwitzer grounded out to
second to open the second but Seth Myers followed with a double to
right, scoring on Gill's error moments later on a grounder by
Phillips. The latter moved up on an error at short by Stone and
scored on a single to center by Gerlach. Taylor also singled, but was
cut down at second on a perfect throw from Marshall as Gerlach
scored.

Smith fanned to end the inning.

It was Pagosa's turn for the big frame and
they scored five, sending nine men to the plate in the inning.

It opened with Kern drawing a walk and
stealing second. Levi Gill also walked but was cut down trying to
steal. Smith relieved Taylor on the mound for Salida and Zeb Gill
reached on a fielder's choice. After Rivas drew a pass, Phillips was
called to the mound for Salida.

Stone and Marshall greeted him with singles
to left before Lopez popped to the pitcher for the second out. Frank
singled to left to drive in a pair before Caler struck out to end the
frame with Pagosa leading 11-7.

With Lopez on the mound, Pierce opened the
Salida fifth with a single to right but was out attempting a steal.
Winter doubled to left, Schwitzer walked and Myers singled to left.
After Phillips flied to right, Gerlach walked and coach Tony Scarpa
brought Stone to the mound in relief.

An error at third base opened the floodgates
because Smith homered over the right field fence on the next pitch.
Jones followed with a single to left, Pierce walked and Winter
reached on a misplayed fly ball in center field. Schwitzer singled to
right before Myers made the final out on a fly to center and Salida
led 15-11.

Stone drew a walk to lead off Pagosa's
fifth, stole second and moved to third on Marshall's infield out.
Lopez hit a long fly caught at the fence in right center by Gerlach.
Frank struck out but was safe at first when the catcher misplayed the
pitch, Stone scoring. Frank, however, was out stealing and the Pagosa
offense was done for the day.

So, too, was Salida's.

The Spartans' sixth opened with Phillips
walking. Gerlach and Taylor both fanned and Stone got Smith on a
grounder to second.

Pagosa's sixth was almost as fast.

Dach drew a walk but was out at second when
he rounded the bag too far on Kern's single to center and was thrown
out. Levi Gill grounded to short but Zeb Gill kept the inning alive
drawing his third walk. Rivas ended the threat popping out to
second.

Stone got three strikeouts sandwiched around
a walk in the Salida seventh and Pagosa came in for its final
effort.

Stone grounded out to third, Marshall lined
to third. Lopez walked but Frank popped to the pitcher to end the
game.

The Pirates will return to Bayfield this
Saturday for a double header starting at 11 a.m.

Andy Abresch was first in Division V with
Jackson Walsh second and Steven Smith and Caleb Pringle both
third.

The Pagosans will travel to Bloomfield,
N.M., this weekend to compete in the Four Corners championship
tournament, the last regional tournament of the season.

39 teams open play in Ross
Tourney tonight

By Richard Walter

Staff Writer

Thirty-nine basketball teams, continuous
action on three courts, top players from around the Four Corners
Area.

Sound like your kind of event?

It all begins tonight in Pagosa Springs as
the 8th annual Dirk and Colt Ross Memorial Basketball Tournament gets
underway.

Tipoff for the opening round is at 6:30 p.m.
with all proceeds from the affair to benefit area students in the
form of college scholarships.

Troy Ross, tournament director, said the
final lineup shows 13 teams in the open division, 12 in the 6-foot
and under division, eight in the 35 and over division, and six in the
women's division.

And they come from a wide swath of the
West.

Teams are entered from as far away as
Safford and Phoenix , Ariz., from Wyoming and Oklahoma, from Colorado
Springs and Fort Collins, from San Antonio, Texas and from Denver and
Albuquerque.

Still other squads will represent Gunnison
and Meeker, Santa Fe and Monte Vista, Trinidad and Greeley, Espanola
and Dulce, Del Norte and Grand Junction and Farmington and
Aztec.

Also represented will be Salt Lake City,
Durango and Ignacio.

Games are scheduled in the high school,
junior high school and Pagosa Springs Community Center
gymnasiums.

Play resumes at 6 p.m. Friday and goes on
all day Saturday, beginning at 9 a.m.

Championship games will begin at noon
Sunday.

A slam dunk contest and three-point shooting
contest are scheduled at 6:30 p.m. Saturday in the junior high
gymnasium.

There will be a small admission charge but
lots of door prizes offered. You must be present to win.

The tournament was established in memory of
two Ross brothers who died in a plane crash near Vallecito Reservoir
and has traditionally provided scholarships for students from Pagosa
Springs and Ignacio, the schools the brothers had attended.

If you didn't get your fill in the
collegiate playoffs, if your favorite team didn't go all the way,
this is an opportunity for you to get one last basketball fix before
the season is officially over.

Many of the teams will feature college
players whose seasons have ended, and referees will be provided from
among the best in the region.

Obituaries

Leo V. Martinez

Leo V. Martinez passed away Sunday, April 6,
2003. He was 63 years old. Leo was born in Edith, Colo., Feb. 20,
1940, the son of Jose Eugenio Martinez and Siria A.
Abeyta-Martinez.

Leo graduated from Pagosa Springs High
School in 1960 and joined the United States Marines Corp. in May of
that year. He served as a Lance Corporal E4 on active duty for 2 1/2
years. After active duty, he lived at the State Veteran's Hospital in
Ft. Lyons, Colo., periodically from 1962 until 1979 when he resided
there permanently.

He was transferred to Home Lake Veteran's
Hospital in January of 2002. Leo enjoyed playing the guitar.

He was preceded in death by his father, Jose
Eugenio Martinez; his mother, Siria A. Abeyta-Martinez; and his
sister, Lorenza Sanders.

He is survived by his brother, Gene Martinez
of Chromo; his sister, Cleo Apodaca of Delta, Colo.; his brother,
Fred Martinez of Pagosa Springs; his sister, Ramona Turbeville of San
Antonio; his brother, Conrado Martinez of Cedar Hill, N.M.; his
brother, Donald Martinez of Rio Rancho, N.M.; his sister, Alice Maez
of Aztec; numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.

Mass of Christian Burial for Leo Martinez
was scheduled today at Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church.
Father John Bowe will officiate. Interment was in Hilltop
Cemetery.

Debra Lee Kelly

April is the cruelest month, breeding

Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing

Memory and desire

Debra Lee Kelly was born Jan. 30, 1953. On
April 4, 2003, the gentle Kona breezes caressed her soul and lifted
her on her final passage in this life.

A friend has said that Debra was larger than
life. Indeed, she was. Like Midas, her touch was one of gold in
whatever endeavor she chose.

To catalogue her skills and accomplishments
would serve merely to limit her.

The memory bred of her life as a lawyer and
leader mix with the desire as sharp as acid to have the lady we all
loved back with us.

So are you to my thoughts as food to
life,

Or as sweet-seasoned showers are to the
ground.

We will never forget, nor ever stop loving
you, Deb.

A celebration of Debra's life will be held
at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 16 at TLC on Fourmile Road.

Call TLC at 264-6200 for additional
information.

Donations in Debra Kelly's name may be made
to the Humane Society of Pagosa Springs, PO Box 1012, Pagosa Springs,
CO 81147.

A graduate of Sharpstown High School in 1978
and from University of St. Thomas in 1982 with a bachelor of science
degree in education, she married Paul Hamilton in 1985.

She taught at Bastian Elementary in the H1
School District for 17 years and for the past two years had been
executive director of the PSH Foundation.

She was a lifetime member of he Houston
Livestock Show and Rodeo, past vice chairman of the Steer Starlettes
and a member of the steer auction committee where, for her work, she
was awarded the Chairman's Award and the Big Boy Award in the past
year. She was also a member of the Houston Cosmopolitan Club.

She was preceded in death by her father,
Raymond A. Harrison, DDS, who passed away in 1975.

Pagosa Area Water and Sanitation District staff got the go-ahead
Tuesday night from the board of directors to begin preliminary
planning for a possible wastewater reuse/filtration facility the
district hopes to utilize as a water conservation tool.

While acknowledging specific funds aren't earmarked for the
proposed plan, Gene Tautges, assistant district general manager, told
the board an estimated, residual $500,000 may be available for the
project if the current renovation and construction of the Vista
wastewater treatment plant continues to progress under bid.

Tautges explained the factors supporting such a proposal are
several. "During a drought year or not, wastewater is always going to
be available," said Tautges, who added that 500,000-600,000 gallons
of wastewater per day are currently passing through district
treatment facilities.

"Even with our downstream commitments, we would have more than
enough water to make the project worthwhile." Tautges explained that,
if implemented, the facility would enable the district to use treated
effluent to improve, among other things, irrigation capacity and lake
levels while easing the strain on current and future water supplies.

Tautges also added that if the district could move forward with
the project in a timely manner, additional future costs could likely
be avoided.

"The way to save money on this project is to have them do it while
they're still here," said Tautges, referring to Camp, Dresser &
McKee Inc., an engineering firm out of Denver, and San Luis
Valley-based Southwest Contracting. The two companies are currently
working on other district initiatives and would likely be called upon
to complete the proposed project.

Tautges added that in a worst-case scenario, if the anticipated
leftover funds from the Vista project fail to materialize, the
district could shelve the preliminary planning for the reuse facility
until other sources of funding become available.

Before seeking the opinion of the board, Tautges indicated a
complete, detailed preliminary engineering design for the project
would cost roughly $80,000.

Board member Karen Wessels voiced support for the plan. "I don't
think we'd be working toward our conservation plan if we didn't
consider it," said Wessels.

Harold Slavinski, board chairman, agreed with Wessels but advised
the board to consider approval of a minimal engineering design, one
allowing for a prediction of total project cost, before going any
further. "I hesitate to spend it all before we're sure," said
Slavinski.

The board agreed, and a motion was passed directing staff to begin
consulting with Camp, Dresser & Mckee Inc. in order to produce an
initial outline for the project. The cost for the basic plan is
estimated at roughly $17,000.

Drought Update

Current water level statistics provided by the district indicate
Lake Forest, Lake Hatcher and Stevens Reservoir are full; Village
Lake and Lake Pagosa are 8 and 43 inches below full pool,
respectively.

After a brief debate on the possibility of easing restrictions to
Level 1, the board decided to keep Level 2 water restrictions in
place until further notice.

As a result, current watering hours remain unchanged, and
residents may continue to perform outside watering (restricted to
trees and shrubs) between the hours of 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Residents who have addresses ending in even numbers may water on
even-numbered days of the month; residents whose addresses end in odd
numbers may water only on odd-numbered days of the month.

The school board for Archuleta School district 50 Joint is now
back at full strength with the appointment Tuesday of Mike Haynes to
replace District 2 director Russel Lee who resigned when transferred
by his employer to a new post in Durango.

Sitting members of the board picked Haynes for the post from a
field of three applicants.

He will serve until the regularly scheduled November election and
has indicated he probably will seek election to the post for a full
term.

His wife, Laura, is a former member of the board, having served
from 1993 through 1998.

Haynes was told his letter seeking the appointment was what sold
the directors.

Randall Davis, board president, said he was "excited at having you
as a member of the board. We were impressed by your service as a
member of the superintendent search committee and by your apparent
understanding of school business."

After taking the oath of office from Davis, Haynes was immediately
seated on the board.

School board accepts Larry
Lister resignation

By Richard Walter

Staff Writer

He came up through the Pagosa Springs School system, graduating in
1969.

He returned to serve as a teacher and administrator and for the
last 23 of his 29 years in the system has been principal of the
Pagosa Springs Junior High School.

He is Larry Lister. His announced intention to resign the
principal post and sever ties with the district at the end of this
school year was accepted Tuesday night by the board of education.

Director Jon Forrest, at the end of the meeting, told the board
and Lister, "We're losing a really great asset in this district.

"Larry," he added, "You've been a huge part of this district's
success for a long time. You will be sorely missed," a comment which
drew applause from all members of the board and from the audience and
fellow administrators.

Lister said, jokingly, "I earned all these gray hairs."

He said he will join his wife in service with La Plata Electric.
"It will be a lot more physically challenging and a lot less mentally
stressing," he said.

Also accepted by the board Tuesday were the resignations of Sean
Downing from his high school teaching position, and of Kate Kelley, a
special education teacher.

The board was told that Downing has an interview scheduled today
for a teaching position in Maine.

In other administrative action, the board granted requests for
administrative leave for Susan Garman and for coaches Jim Shaffer,
Bob Lynch, Wes Lewis and Rok Wilson.

County cleanup off to smooth
start

By Tom Carosello

Staff Writer

Over 350 cubic yards of solid waste were transferred to the
Archuleta County landfill over the weekend from the first of several
free collection sites being utilized during this year's county
cleanup effort.

Clifford Lucero, county solid waste director, said work crews
hauled 10 Dumpster loads from the Turkey Springs Trading Post between
April 5 and April 7 and were anticipating more before the Dumpsters
were removed from site, which served the Aspen Springs area through
April 9.

Lucero also indicated that area residents are cooperating fully
with the effort, which helps to ensure the cleanup will continue in
future years.

"We're right on schedule," said Lucero. "People are really doing
well; nobody is putting items on the sides of the Dumpsters or
leaving things in prohibited areas. This has been the project's
smoothest year, so far."

The cleanup is slated to continue through April 19, and the
remaining schedule includes free Dumpsters being placed at the
following locations:

- San Juan River Resort - on Alpine Drive near the treatment
plant, April 12-16

- Holiday Acres - on Highway 84 opposite the north entrance, April
12-16

- Arboles - at the transfer station, April 19 (residential only,
no trailer loads will be accepted).

The county landfill will accept free dumping April 12-16, but
large items such as refrigerators and large freezers should be placed
in the containers or taken to the landfill. Freon should be removed
from such items before depositing.

Absolutely no paint, liquid or hazardous waste dumping will be
permitted, and depositing waste in private Dumpsters is prohibited.

Due to the county's secure load ordinance, all loads are required
to be covered, tarped or secured. A fine will be imposed on all loads
that are not properly secured.

For more information, contact the county solid waste department at
264-0193.

Spring turkey season opens
Saturday

By Tom Carosello

Staff Writer

Area turkey hunters who are planning some last-minute scouting in
order to prepare for the first of two Colorado turkey seasons have
less than 48 hours to scope out likely habitat before the spring hunt
opens April 12.

Those who haven't yet scouted and find themselves too busy to look
for sign in the next two days will get their chance to discover how
southwest Colorado flocks fared in light of last year's record
drought when they go afield Saturday.

Since snow depth is the primary cause of mortality among turkeys,
while this year's below-average snowfall did little to improve the
drought, a relatively mild winter likely improved survival rates for
last year's poults.

Considering the recent blizzard affecting the northern half of the
state left the southwest reaches of the state untouched, chances are
the region's flocks survived the winter with relative ease.

Although area sightings are reportedly down from last year, data
collected by Colorado Division of Wildlife biologists reveals there
is little to indicate capable hunters will meet with less success in
the six weeks leading up to this year's season end May 25.

According to the Division, statewide turkey populations are at an
all-time high, and public lands in southwest Colorado boast the
greatest numbers of native birds - the subspecies known as Merriam's
turkeys.

Since Merriam's turkeys inhabit ponderosa pine, oak brush and
pinon/juniper terrain at elevations averaging 6,500-8,500 feet, such
findings suggest a greater chance for local hunters to bag a gobbler
without wandering far from home.

The other subspecies in Colorado, the Rio Grande, was introduced
from central plains states in 1980 and inhabits mainly riparian areas
such as river bottoms located adjacent to agricultural areas.

Hunters wishing to brush up on their skills can take advantage of
a free seminar featuring master turkey hunter J.R. Keller tomorrow at
7 p.m. at the Pagosa Springs Community Center. Presented by H.S.
Strut, the seminar will include gear selection, game calling and game
tactics.

Some reminders for this year's hunters who are planning to
participate in the spring turkey season:

- You do not need to register with the Harvest Information Program
(HIP) to hunt turkeys in Colorado.

- State Wildlife Areas are closed to hunting.

- Legal hunting hours are one-half hour before sunrise to sunset.

- Bag and possession limit for the spring season is one bearded
(male) turkey. However, with a limited spring license for all units
or parts of units east of Interstate 25, hunters may take two bearded
turkeys. One must be harvested with a limited license in a limited
area, the second must be harvested with an unlimited license in an
unlimited area. (If you take two turkeys in the spring, you cannot
take a turkey in the fall season.)

For more information on this year's spring turkey season, pick up
a copy of the turkey regulations brochure at area sporting goods
stores or any DOW office, call (303) 297-1192, or visit the
Division's Web site at http://wildlife.state.co.us/.

Navajo Lake opens for boating
season, water recreation

Navajo State Park is open to boating for the 2003 season.

Park officials report that water levels at Navajo State Park's
reservoir rose a foot in the past three weeks, and the silt and mud
were removed from the ramp.

The ramp at Navajo State Park extends to the river channel
allowing visitors to launch their boats with ease.

"Boaters can currently enjoy a 20-mile boat ride from the point of
launch at the boat ramp to the dam," said Navajo State Park Manager
John Weiss.

"Although the lake is lower than normal, it is still one of the
largest lakes around offering excellent water recreation including
water-skiing.

"With recent snowfalls and mud removal efforts, we are optimistic
that boating at the park will remain stable throughout the year,"
added Weiss.

Navajo State Park staff will be in front of the Durango Wal-Mart
shopping center April 19 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. to answer questions
about the park and sell 2003 Colorado State Parks passes and
registrations.

For more information about Navajo State Park visit www.
coloradoparks.org.

Statewide, 33 state parks are offering various types of water
recreation, including boating, fishing, water-skiing, windsurfing,
jet-skiing and swimming.

"Twenty state parks have already opened to boating this year and
we're predicting favorable water levels through early summer," said
Colorado State Parks Director Lyle Laverty.

Park officials remind visitors to use caution because the water
may still be very cold, and always wear a Personal Floatation Device
while boating.

Any boat with a motor or sail operated in Colorado for
recreational purposes must be registered with Colorado State Parks.

An electronic registration renewal program and printable
registration applications are available online at www.
coloradoparks.org.

After a day of boating, settle in for the night at Colorado State
Parks.

Campsite reservations can be made at 33 state parks, offering
nearly 4,000 campsites throughout Colorado. Visitors can reserve a
campsite online at www.colorado parks.org or call the reservation
office at (303) 470-1144 or (800) 678-2267 outside the Denver metro
area.

For additional information on boating at state parks, call (303)
866-3437 or contact the individual parks offices. For updated water
and boating reports or other conditions, visit www.colorado
parks.org.

Click on www.parks.state.co.us/2003boatrampchart.htm for Colorado
State Parks boat ramp information or access the attached PDF.

9Health Fair drew 620
participants, 250 volunteers

By Pauline Benetti

Special to The SUN

With 620 people attending the Fair and 250 volunteers working, the
2003 9Health Fair broke all past records.

People began to line up by 7:15 a.m. and at 8 sharp were able to
begin taking advantage of screenings of every sort - breast exams,
body in balance and much more. Health and safety information was
everywhere.

One of the most active stations featured goggles which simulated
the effect of alcohol. State patrol troopers could be seen
encouraging people to try to walk a straight line under the influence
of the goggles.

By far the benefit most utilized by participants was the low-cost
blood chemistry analysis. Records show 578 of the participants went
through that line. At the other end of the line during peak hours 20
people were drawing blood. All of the phlebotomists worked without
break for the first two hours and many worked for four hours
straight.

At the end of the morning, those seeking further information about
their health took the time to stop and talk to a health care provider
to discuss the results of their various screenings with either a
doctor, a nurse or a pharmacist - another totally free medical
benefit.

Bayfield and Durango are each having a 9Health Fair April 19. If
you missed the Pagosa fair you can attend either of these or the many
other fairs across the state.

The complete schedule can be found on the Web at www.
9HealthFair.org or e-mail 9HF@ 9HealthFair.org.

Letters

Keep the staff

Dear Editor:

I write this as a taxpayer, concerned citizen and health services
consumer. The situation has reached crisis level. It no longer
matters what has transpired in the past. We are at a dangerous
impasse over this untenable situation.

When an entire staff walks out - it no longer matters who is to
blame - there is a dysfunctional management problem and it should be
quite obvious what has to be done.

We have had long and positive relationships with the doctors and
staff of the Mary Fisher Clinic. We have been very fortunate to have
such caring individuals attending to our health needs.

To replace the entire Mary Fisher staff would be fiscally
imprudent - and certainly not in the best interests of this
community. And it would definitely be a waste of taxpayers' money.

The board serves at the pleasure of the taxpayers in the district.
I call on this board to do what is necessary to resolve this crisis
immediately. The doctors and staff of the Mary Fisher Clinic are
competent, diligent, professional and should be retained.

Lenore Bright

Keeping it simple

Dear Editor:

I would like to apologize to Mr. Sawicki for upsetting him with my
inadvertently complicated remarks. As he said, I need to keep it
simple, especially for simpleminded people. They are a little slow
and have a hard time understanding basic principles, such as cause
and effect (on the world stage). At least now I understand why he
voted for a simpleton in the 2000 election.

I thank Jimbo for simplifying the issues though: Bush good - evil
dictator bad; American foreign policy good - dissent bad; you're with
us - you're against us; Pentagon in - United Nations out; love it -
leave it. With simple black-and-white thinking like that is it any
wonder that things are getting so complicated, and dangerous?

The mean admiral that called Sawicki "stupid" and told him to
"keep it simple" must have really traumatized him. I'm so sorry.
Perhaps he should seek therapy -from someone other than Rush
Limbaugh.

D.C. Duncan

Favorite name

Dear Editor:

Over the years, Mr. Sawicki has called me many names, but I find
his most recent, a "troglodyte," to be most fitting and hence my
favorite.

Sincerely

Bob Dungan,

Arboles

Take a stand

Dear Editor:

I don't know about the rest of the county, but I'm sick and tired
of our health care being in jeopardy. I know the entire situation
because I'm an employee and no I'm not afraid for my job anymore. I
am sick and tired of being afraid for my job and to speak out. I'm a
part-time employee and I'm sick. Sick for the people in this county.

People don't know this yet but the entire Mary Fisher Clinic Staff
has given 30 days notice and has quit as well as the EMS physician
advisor. Without a physician advisor EMS cannot operate. Which means
no EMS, no ambulance and many part-time EMS staff have quit as well
as one full-time paramedic that has been railroaded into quitting his
position. How can you stand for this?

Stand up and be counted. Speak up and tell your board to do
something now or step down and make room for someone who will do
something now. We need a board who will make the changes necessary as
quickly as possible. This is an ongoing problem that our present
board is too under the control of the manager to do anything about.
Anyone who has been at any of the recent board meetings can see that
the manager is running the show.

I know the health care in this community is in real jeopardy. This
is not the next guy's problem that you can turn your head to. This is
your problem. It is the problem of every person in the county to do
something about. You can make a difference.

Editor's note: One of the most troublesome elements in the health
services district situation is the proliferation of rumor.

The personal reactions expressed in your letter must be considered
valid. It is necessary to point out, however, that the EMS physician,
as of press time, has agreed to stay on in the capacity until it is
filled by someone else. EMS continues to operate.

Great touch

Dear Editor:

There are so many special people in our little home town and I
want to mention one.

Jace Johnson uses the marquee of Liberty Theatre for much more
than simply advertising his current offering.

Imagine having a friend or family member in the military and then
looking up and seeing their name on the marquee for all of us to
view.

A great touch of support for our troops. Thanks Jace.

Cindy Gustafson

What's priority?

Dear Editor:

Just when I thought I'd truly found Paradise within the Healing
Waters of Pagosa, I'm wondering if the water here is turning to
quicksand.

That's how it felt when I was told last week that Diane, one of
our compassionate, gifted nurses at the Mary Fisher Medical Clinic,
was the latest casualty of the clinic "wars."

It was just last week that she gently and patiently reassured me
by phone re my virus symptoms, and the best ways to care for myself
until the symptoms subsided.

Each week in the past several months my stomach would curl into
knots just reading about how our medical staff was enduring the
latest trials and tribulations, from losing their office manager to
patronizing, unprofessional and yes, even unethical treatment at the
hands of the "management" team. Is this any way to run a medical
clinic?

The articles and hearsay were just that, words and innuendo to me
until hearing of Diane's resignation ... that really hit home.

When the care of our citizens is now threatened, as our caring,
professional staff keeps dwindling, don't you think this has gone on
long enough?

What is the priority here? Politics and egos, or the best care of
Pagosa residents and visitors alike?

Come on, board members, do what's right.

Sincerely,

Suzan Joy

Resignations

Dear Editor:

It is with profound sadness that I am resigning from the Dr. Mary
Fisher Medical Center as of May 1, 2003. These last eight years have
been the best of my career because of you, my patients, and the
support you've given to me. I intend to stay in Pagosa Springs, and
to be involved in health care, in some form or another. Please stay
tuned.

The problems that the Dr. Mary Fisher Medical Center are going
through now are devastating for the employees as well as the
community. By resigning en masse, we hoped to show the severity of
the situation to the public.

When we leave, the problems will still be there. It will just take
awhile for the new employees who take our place to realize the
situation.

The good news is, according to the organizational chart developed
and passed by the board of directors this past March, the taxpayers
and customers are at the very top. That puts you over the board of
directors, over the district manager and all the other USJHSD
employees. To me, that means you're in a very powerful position right
now. I feel it's time for the community to step in and help make the
tough decisions that are critical to this community's health care.

Sincerely,

Susan Kuhns

Board work

Dear Editor:

I was elected to the USJHS District Board of Directors almost
three years ago, at a time of financial turmoil and severe morale
problems, resulting in the resignation of the district manager, Bill
Bright, just 10 months later.

Over the following year, members of the board worked diligently to
turn things around until we could afford to hire another district
manager. Dee Jackson was hired to reorganize the way we do business,
since it was apparent we were on a destructive path. We believed the
taxpayers deserved a professionally-run health service and we would
provide this through Dee's leadership.

The Dr. Mary Fisher Medical Center has lost patient business
slowly over the past six months or so as patients report being
subjected to complaints from caregivers while there for medical care.
Some have stated that the clinic is no longer a medical clinic but
rather a political clinic.

Our public board meetings have been an embarrassment to the
community as employees have engaged in unprofessional, disruptive
behavior.

The public must understand that the board meetings are business
meetings, not employee staff meetings. Folks serving on the board as
representatives of the taxpayers receive no compensation for time and
effort and current board members have no personal agenda but to
provide quality health care to this community.

Patty Tillerson

Total frustration

Dear Editor:

For over 20 years I have practiced family medicine in Pagosa
Springs. This has been through the Dr. Mary Fisher Medical Center and
always with some help from this community.

Medical care provision has long been a difficult proposition in
rural areas. Witness the very formation of the Dr. Mary Fisher Center
44 years go by community action and donations. Currently, medical
care provision is deeply troubled by a national crisis.

I have worked diligently with the community to establish and
advance a viable, high quality facility and organization which can
ensure medical care availability, with enhancement over time. The
process has had success, though not without difficult deliberations
and decisions over time. Public functions are usually more cumbersome
than private enterprise. But I strongly believe public input and
support are critical, today more than ever, in community health.

Through the committed time and diligence of all our staff,
families and others, we have established a cohesive team at the Dr.
Mary Fisher Center. We take pride in our work. Fiscal matters, as you
know, have been difficult. Fiscal crisis in the Health Service
District has put a terrible strain on our team for several years. Due
emphasis on this crisis by many, including, again, you the community,
and the district manager, has enabled good current control of this
situation.

Unfortunately, a new crisis has arisen over the last year which
now will destroy the Dr. Mary Fisher Center as you know it. This is a
crisis of conflict and miscommunication between management, including
the board, and staff, which has led to total frustration and
dissatisfaction in the workplace.

Almost uniformly, the district employees feel disrespect from
management. The problem has grown for months, as the front page of
this paper has documented. Management efforts have been insufficient
and ineffectual. In fact, increasing pleas by staff and the public
have been destructively met with by an attitude of defiance and a
redoubled effort to deal with personnel issues through impersonal
rules and regulations. The district board of directors, reduced in
size by resignations and member business commitments, and without a
chairman, continues with "business as usual," ill-advised by the
district manager.

Thus, regretfully, in total frustration, the entire staff of the
Dr. Mary Fisher Medical Center resigns, effective in 30 days. I
personally hope expedient resolution of issues is possible; this
remains to be seen.

The staff is involved in planning how we can best avoid hardship
to our patients; we will keep you informed.

Mark Wienpahl, M.D.

Pray for peace

Dear Editor:

With David Mitchell dead and John Motter no longer there, I doubt
there's anyone left there who remembers me.

I was the author of the long-ago column Cultura y Tradicion,
writing the history of early Hispanic settlers in Archuleta County.
In fact, it was John Motter who encouraged me to write and Mr.
Mitchell who kept me on the right track.

When I remarried after my first husband passed away, David had a
hard time with my new name and would say to me, "Hello, Mrs.
Martinez, I mean Valdez." I would answer "That's all right, I call
you Mr. Edmonds sometimes."

You asked for local opinions on the war in Iraq, so here is mine.

When I turned 75 one of my children gave me a book for my birthday
entitled "Witness to Hope" by George Weigel. It is the biography of
Pope John Paul II who was witness to atrocities and persecutions by
terrorists and communists during World War II, starting in Poland and
ending with the whole world at war.

It took me a year to finish that book and when I did, my husband
asked, "Did you learn anything?"

I answered, "Yes, I did. The Pope says freedom is a fragile
commodity, and judging by the lives of our servicemen and other
people whose lives are broken and destroyed during a war, he is
right."

John Paul II does not encourage war, but encourages peace achieved
by prayer and peaceful communication among world leaders. But there
are times when war is the only way to keep freedom.

Last night I heard a general on television saying this war is
about liberation, not occupation and that reminded me of a question I
asked my husband who was a POW during World War II.

I said, "Why does the United States always have to go defend every
nation when they are fighting?" His answer was, "If we hadn't gone to
stop Hitler when he was killing his own people and Jews in Germany,
he would have come to do it here."

Today, after 9/11, we know they can come and do it here.

Speaking of books, I just finished another from Pope John Paul II
entitled: "Crossing the Threshold of Hope."

His message is: "Be Not afraid."

Thank God we have a president who is not afraid to stand up and
defend our country and others who need our help.

We had four boys and five girls. There was a time when we had two
boys in Vietnam and one in Korea.

By the grace of God all came home safe and sound. Their father was
a sheep rancher when he was inducted into the service and completed
his training. But, because the government needed wool for warm army
coats, his deferment was granted a few days before his unit went
overseas. I've always considered that a miracle granted through
prayer.

Pray for our soldiers and world peace and for the innocent people
of Iraq.

Carina Martinez Valdez

Deserving support

Dear Editor:

In a free society people have the right to express opinions, but
they should be informed and responsible. For Mr. Stampfer (SUN 4/3)
to equate our President with past tyrants, Americans' support of our
administration with German, Japanese and Italian support for theirs,
and the current war of liberation with their immortal aggression, is
irresponsible. Is he not informed about President Bush's 70-percent
plus and the war's 82-percent plus approval rating?

His citing "preemptive strikes" is misinformed given the fact that
the war is not unilateral but, following failed UN diplomacy and
enforcement of 18 resolutions over 12 years, is being conducted by a
coalition of 40 active and 50 supportive nations. Leading Muslim
clerics are appealing for support of the coalition.

Why is Mr. Stampfer gullibly impressed by the millions of
demonstrators who are not really pro-peace or anti-war but anti-U.S.?
The prestigious Destaque Internacional reports: "The worldwide
anti-war protests in more than 600 cities are part of a socialist
conspiracy." Organizers are "the Italo-Brazilian Jose Luiz Del Roio,
director of 'Ponto Rosso' (Red Point), the Belgian Marxist Francois
Houtart, the Hungarian Istvan Maszaros and the Egyptian Samir Amin,"
all communists whose "objective and strategy are to create in
American public opinion a counterweight to the conservative
government." Fortunately, their influence is waning as people learn
the truth.

Contrast the disheveled, often unruly and violent, demonstrators,
flaunted by our media, who in TV interviews cannot explain their
action rationally, who carry flags to burn, desecrate the stars with
peace symbols, and bear them upside down and backwards, with the true
patriots, who often outnumber the mobs, behave properly, and wave
thousands of flags respectfully, but seldom are portrayed by the
media.

Nobel Peace Prize recipient Weizel recently said on TV "if people
of Europe applied as much pressure on Saddam to disarm as they do on
England and the U.S. they could achieve peace without war." Where are
Mr. Stampfer's and the demonstrators' pressure against Saddam's, not
the war's, injustices: raping, beheading and hanging women, cutting
out tongues, shooting fleeing refugees, starving 1,300 children under
age 5 and many others, gassing thousands, killing uprising Muslims,
etc.? If he lived under this maniacal tyrant, he would be the first
to scream for liberation by any nation willing to use any means at
any cost. Why does he not cry out for the freedom of the oppressed
Iraqis?

Worldwide apathy, organized anti-Americanism, and greed of many
nations' leaders occasioned the rapid rise of tyranny, oppression and
terrorism. The U.S. which has liberated billions, and her allies
stand alone against these evils and deserve everyone's support.
Unless we all unite in that fight, whatever means are necessary to
win, diplomatic or military, we will all become victims. The military
includes soldiers who are willing to die for Mr. Stampfer and
safeguard his freedom to express his opinion.

Eugene Witkowski

Community
News

Senior News

Let's tap the stories in the
minds of our senior citizens

By Laura Bedard

SUN Columnist

We have some amazing stories and history contained in the minds of
our seniors that need to be shared.

Volunteers are asked to talk with people and tape and/or
transcribe their stories.

This would be a wonderful opportunity for newcomers to this town
to hear about early Pagosa, or for younger people who don't realize
that "old people" had some amazing adventures in their younger years,
as well as sage advice to give.

If you would like to get in on this opportunity, give us a call at
the senior center 264-2167.

April Fools Day was fun at the center. Dawnie served a Seniors'
Choice meal consisting of green chile with pork, tortillas and her
famous cinnamon rolls. Seeds of Learning kids sang new songs for us
as well.

We had at least one prankster in the group who hid our piano
music, but otherwise the group was under control. After lunch, Betty
James gave us information about planting in this area, and then we
got some seeds started.

We are interested in starting a raised-bed garden next to the
senior center and Betty (as a master gardener) can get us a discount
on material. If anyone is interested in donating time, funds or
materials, please contact Laura at the center and we can create a
senior garden.

Ron Alexander's presentation about archaeology last month was so
well received that he is scheduled to talk again about ancient humans
April 11. His talk will be longer and more in depth this time, so
come and see all the neat stuff he will be bringing in. He will be in
the dining room this time because we are also having our free movie
("Road to Perdition") the same day at 1 p.m. in the lounge. Popcorn
is only 25 cents.

Mike Greene is an attorney from Cortez who will be talking April
16 about scams and fraud and how to avoid them. He has a lot of
information and good advice, so come and ask questions.

Would you be interested in joining a chess club at the center?
Give us a call at 264-2167 and we will see if we have enough people
to participate. Your move!

We are going to Durango for a shopping trip today and Sky Ute
Casino Tuesday. If you are a senior and interested in going on either
trip, call immediately for signup. These trips are popular and fill
up fast.

Avoid mistakes in buying long-term care insurance.

About 10 percent of people over 60 have long-term care insurance
and more are getting protected every day. But some have overpaid or
have obtained a qualified policy and would be better with a
nonqualified policy or vice vera. Find out who needs this insurance
and who doesn't and how not to overpay.

There is a free booklet available that shows retirees how to save
costs, determine if they need long-term care insurance, where to get
it, and how to get your premiums refunded if you do not use the
insurance. Call (800) 559-9712, 24 hours a day to get your copy of a
booklet that is must-reading for retirees. It is for people under 80
who do not already have long-term care insurance.

The Archuleta County Veterans Service Office will be closed April
16-18 while I attend the annual Colorado Division of Veterans Affairs
spring training conference in Denver.

Veterans can leave a message on my answering machine and I will
return their call when I return April 21. Veterans needing to
schedule one of the VSO vehicles for transport to their VA health
care appointments can contact Jan Santopietro in the county
commissioners' office at 264-2536 for the schedule.

9HealthFair

The 9HealthFair last Saturday appeared to be a huge success
judging by the tremendous turnout. Every year it seems to grow in
popularity as a means to obtain low cost, thorough health care
screening.

The Veterans Service Office was on hand, meeting and helping
veterans with possible benefits, especially with the popular VA
health care program. I met many old veteran friends and quite a few
new veterans.

This is the second year to participate in the 9HealthFair. I
always enjoy participating in these kinds of outreach programs for
the Veterans Service Office to seek out and help veterans that for
one reason or another haven't been able to come to my office.

New veteran contacts

I heard repeatedly at the 9HealthFair as veterans dropped by my
table they had intended to stop by the VSO office, but just hadn't
got around to it for one reason or other. They were glad for the
opportunity to discuss VA health care and other VA benefits while
they were at the 9HealthFair.

Virtually every new veteran I met signed up for VA health care.

As regular readers of this column know, recent changes in
eligibility for VA health care have made it a little more difficult
to obtain this benefit. Last week I expressed my thinking the winds
of change could turn this eligibility problem around and again make
VA health care available to nearly all honorably discharged veterans
regardless of income or financial resources.

VA health care signup

I continue to strongly recommend all veterans sign up for this
important and low-cost VA benefit, so they will already be enrolled
and "in the system" when and if new eligibility rules are reversed
from the recent trends that base availability on income and financial
levels.

Veterans already enrolled and in the VA health care computer
systems should be a step ahead in receiving patient care with the VA
when the priority level change takes place.

One of the side benefits of VA health care that affects many of
our veterans is low-cost prescription drugs.

To obtain prescription drugs through the VA health care system,
you have to be an active patient with the VA. The VA doctor will then
prescribe the medications through the VA mail order pharmacy program.

Prescription drugs

Frequently, obtaining low-cost prescription drugs is the main
reason some veterans want to sign up for VA health care. Many are on
Social Security and Medicare, which currently do not include low-cost
prescription drugs.

Veterans often tell me they do not have any current need for
health care services. They are in good health or have other health
care providers.

However, VA health care is not an insurance program and you do not
pay premiums. It is a co-pay fee based service that you pay for only
when you use the service. At the minimum a veteran patient can
received a complete physical exam, including complete blood workup,
once a year for the current co-pay cost of $15.

Stay in the system

A yearly physical is cheap health insurance for most of us, and
something all of us should have anyway. A yearly VA health care
checkup will keep the veteran on the active patient roles.

By staying in the VA system the veteran will be "grand-fathered,"
which could be important if it once again becomes difficult for new
enrollment in the future. Once in, the veteran won't be dropped from
the service.

However, a veteran could be dropped from active patient status if
he or she has not used the service for two years or more. They would
be required to enroll again as a new patient under any current
priority guidelines or availability that might be in affect.

Patient loads are very high at many VA medical facilities, which
is one of the main reasons the VA has began to limit access to the
service by applicants with higher incomes. But if you're already in,
and stay in, the chances are you won't be dropped from the service
regardless of changes in priority guidelines.

For information on these and other veterans' benefits please call
or stop by the Veterans Service Office located on the lower floor of
the county courthouse (next to the driver's license office).

The office number is 264-2304, the fax number is 264-5949 and
E-mail is afautheree@ archuleta county.org. The office is open 8
a.m.-4 p.m., Monday through Thursday, Friday by appointment. Bring
your DD Form 214 (Discharge) for registration with the county,
application for VA programs and for filing in the VSO office.

Chamber News

Basketball tourney April
10-13;

Easter egg hunt set for April
12

Sally is on the road and Karl is clamoring
for an article before the normal Monday deadline, so I have been
forced to start my nap a little late on Friday morning in order to
keep the good citizens of Pagosa up to date on our spring
happenings.

Ross tournament

March Madness addicts can get one last
basketball fix as the 8th annual Dirk and Colt Ross Memorial
Basketball Tournament hits the gym floors starting tonight and
continuing through the weekend.

Anyone else looking for a great time and
lots of exciting action is also invited to attend. Those unfamiliar
with this annual event may be surprised to find that the best
basketball talent from miles around descends on Pagosa for this
tournament.

With three divisions (Open, 6 feet and
under, 35 years and over) and multiple competitions (regular play,
slam-dunk contest, 3-point shootout) this tournament offers something
for any sports fan.

Action takes place April 10, 11, 12 and 13.
Look for more information on times and locations in today's SUN.
Proceeds go to scholarship funds in Pagosa and Ignacio, so come on
out and enjoy the action.

Home show

During your free time this weekend you'll
want to take a trip out to the county Extension building and spend a
little time strolling through the Pagosa Springs Builder's
Association Home Show. Whether you're looking for someone to build
your new home or some ideas to upgrade your current abode, the home
show has it all. The show runs Saturday and Sunday so set some time
aside to check out all the great exhibits at this year's show.

Easter egg hunt

We've already had so many calls on this that
it's a relief and pleasure to report that there will indeed be an
Easter egg hunt this year.

You can take all your little egg seekers
armed with their baskets to the Ralph Eaton Recreation Center located
at 45 Eagles Loft Circle in Pagosa Lakes Saturday, April 12 from
9:30-11:30 a.m.

Obviously, all parents need to be armed with
cameras because there are always the most amazing photo ops at these
events guaranteed to inspire oohs and aahs for years to come.

Fish fry

Tomorrow marks the last day for the Knights
of Columbus Lenten Fish Fry.

They'll be serving up their last portions of
delicious catfish, French fries, cole slaw, hush puppies, corn
muffins and ice cream dinner. The other wonderful plus about the fish
fry is that you get to see everyone in town and even some visitors.

Don't miss your final opportunity to enjoy
great food and good company.

Volunteer fair

The invitations have been sent to all
organizations and non-profits to take advantage of the opportunity to
gain some new volunteers for the upcoming season.

If your organization did not receive the
invitation, please contact Doug at 264-2360 or just stop by the
Visitor Center to pick one up.

We had a grand time last year at this event
and are looking forward to another day searching for new blood and
talent in the volunteer department.

This year's fair will be held Saturday,
April 26, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the community center all-purpose
room.

Booths will be set up for each participant
to display information, brochures, pictures or whatever it is that
will educate folks as to what they do. Last year organizations picked
up quite a few new volunteers, and we hope that this year will be as
successful.

Booth fee is $35 for first-time participants
and $25 for those that participated last year. If you have questions,
please give us a call at 264-2360. If your organization is looking
for volunteers, the Volunteer Recruitment Fair just may be the
answer.

Susie and John

Yet another FoPA opportunity presents itself
April 11 and 12 when John Graves and Susie Ewing from Durango team up
once again for a performance entitled "Songs for a Spring Evening."

Susie Ewing is the classic small package
with very large talent and range and energy to burn. She offers an
amazing "menu" of musical genres and performs them all with engaging
professionalism. She's incredibly entertaining, and I needn't tell
you that our John Graves is the consummate professional and musician.

The two shows will be held at the Methodist
Church Fellowship Hall at 7:30 p.m. with doors opening at 6:30 so you
can enjoy hors d'oeuvres and/or dessert before the performance.

Tickets for "Songs for a Spring Evening" are
$15 until Friday at 3 p.m. and $18 at the door. You can purchase
tickets at WolfTracks, the Chamber of Commerce or The Plaid
Pony.

Passport to
Opportunity

Joe Keck, our local representative of the
Colorado Small Business Development Center, sends word of a seminar
for small businesses with something to offer our government.

Scheduled for Wednesday, April 23 from 7:30
a.m.-3 p.m. at the San Juan Community College in Farmington,
"Passport to Opportunity: How To Get Through The Government
Contracting Door," offers helpful information on how to get a piece
of the government contract pie.

For more information on this seminar,
contact the Small Business Administration in New Mexico at (505)
346-6753.

If you want to know if this seminar is worth
your time, call Keck at 247-7009.

Business counseling

Don't forget Keck also offers free
counseling sessions to local businesses each month.

He'll be in Pagosa April 22. If you would
like to set up an appointment with Keck, give the Chamber a call at
264-2360 and speak to Doug.

Membership

Two new members, one new owner and eight
renewals this week. So, let's get to it.

Our first new member needs no introduction,
but here it is anyway. We are happy to welcome the Creede Repertory
Theatre to our family. Creede Repertory Theatre offers some of the
best small theater entertainment in the country every summer. They're
located at 124 Main St. in Creede and you can contact them at (866)
658-2540 or check out their Web site at www.creederep.com.

Next, we want to welcome Angi and Bryan
Crutchley with Alpine Technology Solutions, Inc. at P.O. Box 4715,
here in Pagosa. They offer 21 years of experience "using technology
and organization to simplify your life." Featuring security, home
automation, home networks, multi-room audio-video and storage
solutions for bedrooms, pantries, garages and offices, they
definitely have something for everyone. Give them a call at 731-9090
or check out their Web site at alpineonline. us. You can also e-mail
them at sales@alpineonline.us.

Our first renewal rejoins with a new owner.
Monograms Plus Leather is now owned by Mike and Martha McMullin.
Still located at 510 San Juan St., next to Wells Fargo Bank Downtown,
Monograms Plus Leather offers custom embroidery, screen printing,
letter jackets and heat transfers. Their phone number is 264-5050 or
you can e-mail them at scadamike@aol.com.

Our next renewal is Margie Hollingsworth,
LPC in Lubbock, Texas. Margie offers licensed professional counseling
to women in Texas and Colorado. She can be reached locally at
946-4716 or in Lubbock at (806) 793-7712. You can e-mail her at
Margiehlpc@cs.com.

Moving right along, we have Bryan Madsen
with All American Plumbing. Give Bryan a call at 731-3339.

We also get Lori Madsen with Loredana's
Restaurant and Bar. Give Lori a call at 731-5135 or drop her an
e-mail at loredanas@pagosa.net.

Tom and Judy Thigpen are back with Indian
Head Lodge located deep in the San Juan National Forest. With
lodging, fuel and a convenience store, they offer a true summer
getaway. Their phone number is 731-2282 and you can check them out at
their Web site, pagosalodging.com or e-mail them at jody0202@cs. com.

Petra Joy and Joy Automotive offer complete
car service, metal work and parts. Call them at 731-3459 or drop them
an e-mail at petra@obii.net.

Bank of the San Juans rejoins the chamber to
meet all your banking needs. Give them a call at 264-1818.

Jerry Jackson re-ups as a real estate
associate member with Coldwell Banker. Call him at 731-2000 or e-mail
him at pagosasprings@hotmail.com.

And, finally, John and Jenny Schoenborn
rejoin as associate members.

Library News

State funding crisis potential
disaster for libraries

By Lenore Bright

Today we are supposed to be celebrating
National Library Week. It is that time of the year when we should be
happily contemplating extended services to our patrons, making plans
for the popular summer reading program, and ordering new books that
you have requested.

It should be business as usual.

But how can it be? Pictures of our dear sons
and daughters currently in harm's way appear on the front page. We've
watched many of them grow up in the library. Until they are back
safe, there can be no "business as usual."

And here at home, this has become a year of
challenges, funding uncertainties and much questioning. As I write
this, the governor and legislators are cutting more library funding
that will have devastating consequences to all rural libraries away
from the Denver metropolitan area.

These cuts, along with other harmful cuts to
all types of public services are partly the result of the TABOR
amendment passed a number of years ago.

Our representative, Mark Larson has been
writing about this in several of his columns. Understanding the
ambiguities written into the amendment is a time-consuming job. Most
people have no idea what this piece of legislation did to the many
government agencies in our state. We sometimes forget that all of the
services we depend upon are paid for by property taxes.

If you live in the boondocks without the
need for any public assistance whatsoever, if you have no need for
health services, no need for law protection, no need for paved roads,
no need for water or sewer, no need for fire protection, no kids to
send to public schools.

But wait, I think that's the way it used to
be. Didn't we eventually figure out that if we all worked together
and chipped in, we could accomplish great things? Taxes are the price
we pay for a civilized society.

The tax cuts we face today are sadly
chipping away some of the progress we've made in the past 30 years in
all areas of public service. Important infrastructure is being done
away with. Some public health services are just gone. Other services
we've come to rely on and assume were our right will be no
more.

Until the voting public understands what
they had, and what they are losing, and what the costs will be to
rebuild the services that are now being cut, our legislators' hands
are tied.

And those of us who serve the public will be
given the distasteful job of trying to explain why we can no longer
offer the service you've come to expect.

By next week I will know the outcome. But as
of now, we've been advised that Colorado libraries will lose a total
of $7.3 million dollars used to underwrite the cooperative programs
among libraries. This will also result in our loss of more than $1.8
million in federal funds.

These cooperative programs allowed libraries
to save millions of dollars in interlibrary loans, courier services,
the state library Internet network, education for library staff
members in small rural libraries, and most of the cooperative
purchasing discounts. In other words, it will cost more to give less
service.

They eliminated the Denver Public Library
Resource Center that served us so well with interlibrary loans. They
eliminated the funding for libraries that bought $2 million dollars
worth of educational materials that we all shared with our patrons
free of charge. The Colorado information infrastructure will be
nonexistent if they go through with this latest decision to eliminate
the seven regional library service systems that we depend on.

So we are supposed to be celebrating
National Library Week. The war and these dismal funding issues dim
any thought of celebration.

Instead, we'll trust that the world news
will be much better in the weeks to come for our people in uniform,
and for everyone living under this dreadful cloud of war and
uncertainty.

Births

Dakota Walter, along with his parents,
Clancy and Jason Walter, welcomed Burke Thomas into the world Feb.
21, 2003. He weighed 8 pounds, 1.3 ounces. Maternal grandparents are
Dorothy and Allen Trefethen and paternal grandparents are Sharon and
Harold Walter, all of Pagosa Springs. Great-grandparents are Earl and
Birdie Ashcroft of Mancos and Lucille Walter of Las Vegas.

Business
News

Tom Thorpe owns and operates Top Lab
Consulting Services and has done business in the area since last
year.

Top Lab Consulting Services provides
customers with water and wastewater field testing, Colorado Primary
Drink Water Standards analyses and work leading to a
Colorado-certified water system. Thorpe provides septic system
project management and general project management and can assist
individual property owners, contractors and developers with their
needs.

To contact Thorpe and Top Lab Consulting
Services, call 264-5253 or fax 264-0309.

A former resident of Pagosa Springs, Joyce
has earned her bachelor of science degree in organizational
management with an emphasis in human resources. She plans to pursue a
master's degree in the same field.

Joyce and her children, Micaela and Anthony,
currently reside in Grand Junction.

Features

Footloose

By Tess Noel Baker

Staff Writer

It's time to cut loose - footloose that is.

Kick off those shoes.

Move those feet and harken back to the Kenny
Loggins classic.

"Loose, footloose

Kick off your Sunday shoes

Please, Louise

Pull me offa my knees

Jack, get back

C'mon before we crack

Lose your blues

Everybody cut, everybody cut,

everybody cut, footloose!"

Since the beginning of February, a cast of
30 at the Pagosa Springs High School has been brushing up on their
'80s moves in preparation for their own production of "Footloose,"
the musical as adapted from the 1984 movie.

In the story, Ren, a big-city boy with a
leather jacket, messy hair and those cheap black shades, rolls into
small-town America and bumps up against the conservative values of a
local minister while trying to woo his wild-child daughter. In an
attempt to protect the county's teens from "corruption," all dancing
and popular music has been outlawed in the town. Problems arise when
the local high school youth, including the Rev. Shaw Moore's
daughter, can't seem to keep from shaking things up.

It's the end of the disco era. It's the
beginning of those odd, jerky '80s movements, lots of jumping and
head jerking. Oh, yes, and don't forget the lifts.

Combine the storyline with the energy of
dance, and it's a surefire recipe for fun, something apparent in the
faces of the entire cast, including several taking their first step
onto the high school stage.

"The music is all upbeat," Angelica Leslie
said.

"It's fun," Hattie Mayne said. "You can
improvise and have a lot of fun doing it."

"There's so much energy," Sara Baum said.
"It's really entertaining because so many things are going on at the
same time."

In one large dance scene, Ren flings himself
across stage on a rope swing, while others perform lifts and still
more slide across stage doing the "audition step." At the same time,
they are singing "I'm Free." It's a mad rush of activity that leaves
many breathing hard at the end of practice.

Choreographer Dale Morris said moves in the
high-energy dance numbers are a combination of the student's
suggestions and her own research.

"There wasn't a video of the Broadway
production available so I watched John Travolta, got some dance
videos from New York and did some research on the Internet as to what
steps were done."

Together, she and some of the students
watched the videos early in rehearsal.

"A lot of it comes from the kids
themselves," she said. "I would say I've use 99 percent of their
ideas someplace in the musical."

Anyone can dance, she said. It's just a
matter of finding their unique talents and bringing them out.

For Chelsea Taylor, that's been both the
best and most challenging part of rehearsals.

"The dancing is so much fun," she said.
"It's so '80s. It's so dorky. I was just like I have to do
this."

Her two biggest challenges, she said, were
learning to sing and dance at the same time and remembering not to
look at her feet.

"You have to admit, '80s dancing was so
messed up," she said. "It's a fun play, a sweet play. It keeps your
attention on it and you'll laugh through the whole thing."

Director Lisa Hartley said the "Footloose"
script only became available for amateur productions last year,
making this a fresh opportunity for the students. The script also
allows for several stars to shine instead of flashing the spotlight
on just one person.

"There are a lot of leads, lots of solos,
duets and trios." Hartley said. That adds both variety and
challenge.

In one such scene, Chris Baum, Ben DeVoti
and Tim McAlister must combine choreography, character and the song,
"The Girl Gets Around." For all three, it's their first experience in
a Pagosa Springs high school production.

"Getting the notes right in our song," is
the greatest challenge for DeVoti. "I'm not the most talented
vocalist," he said. To put it all together, they've run their song,
"over and over and over." They start with problem spots and slowly
add in the choreography.

"It's really synchronized, intense," DeVoti
said. "A lot of it is timing-based and technical, but I think it's
going to come together great in the end."

Casey Kiister, who is a member of the high
school choir and plays Ren's uncle in "Footloose," said the musical
is stretching his vocal talents as well.

"I'm suppose to be singing bass, but this
song has me sing high," Kiister said. "In choir the highest I ever
have to hit is middle F. Here I have to go from middle F up to high
B."

McAlister said the repetition was really
sinking in. "Every morning I wake up with a different song in my
head."

But they're putting it all together, getting
those moves down and learning to let loose, perhaps the biggest
challenge, Morris said.

"It's pretty much just coaching now," she
said. "I keep telling them to, 'Just throw yourself into being
silly.'"

The sets are made. The fights have been
practiced. Roller skating is even involved. Store signs, even some
with lights, move in and out. Twelve crew members are practiced and
ready to move curtains, sometimes four at once. The orchestra, a
bass, guitar, percussion, saxophone, flute, clarinet, keyboard, piano
and drums are tuned and ready to go. The Loggins sheet music is in
place.

So break out those leg warmers, the neon and
the second-skin jeans and come to the high school ready for a foot
stomping good time starting tonight at 7 p.m.

Pagosa's
Past

Joe Mann - outlaw or
adventurer?

ByJohn Motter

Old Joe Mann. Was he a murderer hiding from
the law in the pioneer San Juan wilderness? Or was he just another of
the restless adventurers who came west looking for excitement?

When I sat around during the 1970s,
listening to old-timers talk about the early days in Pagosa Country,
one name was sure to pop up. Old Joe Mann. Then, when I started
reading original documents, Mann's existence was confirmed.

Military reports from Old Fort Lewis reveal
that Mann had a contract to supply hay for the horses in 1878. A copy
of an 1870 census of the San Juan area by special agent Cyrus Arny
from New Mexico showed Joe Menn as being in Pagosa Country very early
for a white man.

A glance on a San Juan National Forest map
of the upper East Fork of the San Juan River shows a place identified
as the Joe Mann Cabin. It is for real. Old Joe Mann is said to be
buried nearby.

Mann's aspen log cabin was located on the
old government road across Elwood Pass not far from the Black Diamond
Mine. He died Aug. 4, 1912, at the age of 86 years.

During his last illness, he was cared for by
Wade and Ella Warr, who were running the Black Diamond Mine at the
time. Pagosa resident Bill Warr is the son of Wade and Ella.
According to Bill, Mann had been a civil engineer back east. For some
reason, he killed a man, walked across a bridge he was building and
disappeared forever into the unknown west.

Mann was associated with the Summitville
mining activity that was humming along as early as 1870, several
years before Pagosa Springs was founded. Early editions of the Del
Norte Prospector, that community's pioneer newspaper, refer to him
quite frequently.

His long residence on the San Juan East Fork
is connected with the mining activity associated with the early days
of that location near the headwaters of the river. Along Elwood Pass
was the town of Elwood, an active mining community that even boasted
of a post office.

Downstream from Elwood, probably near where
Silver Creek crosses the road still threading up the valley, was a
community known as Bowentown. The remains of a few log cabins remain
to identify the site of Bowentown. Among the chief residents of
Bowentown was Lemuel Laughlin, the father of John Laughlin and the
grandfather of Warr's wife.

The serenity of the East Fork area today is
deceiving, when compared to the activity up there when it was the
center of an intense search for gold. Every nook and cranny in that
part of the San Juan Mountains has probably felt the probe of a
prospector's pick. It was the search for gold, after all, that lured
the first white men into the San Juan Mountains.

In his younger years, Old Joe Mann
homesteaded further down the San Juan River. He was the first to
build the log cabin known today as the McCarthy Cabin. The same cabin
was earlier known as the Whit Newton Cabin and at one time housed
Thomas and Mary Murphy.

The Murphys were among the last full-time
residents of the East Fork area. Tom Murphy was born in Ireland,
served in the Civil War, and worked in Colorado mines at Georgetown
and Central City before moving to Pagosa Country.

He married Mary Murphy in 1879 and the
couple lived on the San Juan River for 23 years. In 1902, they
purchased the Joe Mann ranch and lived there for eight years before
moving to Durango. She died in 1919, he in 1922.

When a team of experts examined the McCarthy
Cabin during the early 1980s in connection with the preparation of an
environmental impact statement, they determined that portions of the
original cabin built by Joe Mann probably remain imbedded in the
much-modified structure.

A number of homesteads occupied the East
Fork principally between the McCarthy Cabin and Quartz Creek.
Occupying those homesteads at one time or another were the Young
brothers, Jacob and Eastman; and Jack Lane, along with his brothers.
I have never determined if anyone ever proved up on any of those
homesteads, or if they lapsed.

Whit Newton worked a deal with the forest
service to acquire much of that property. In turn, the land owned by
Newton was owned by Frank Teal and later by Dan McCarthy. This is the
same property Piano Creek recently and unsuccessfully attempted to
develop.

When Fort Lewis first came to Pagosa
Springs, Joe Mann secured a contract to supply hay for the military
equines. He undoubtedly supplied some hay, probably cut from meadows
on the San Juan West Fork. When winter came, the thermometer dropped,
and snow began to pile up, Mann was nowhere to be found, much to the
chagrin of the military commander.

As a result of the inability to secure feed
for the horses and mules, the Army wintered their livestock near
Animas City that first year. We never learn why Mann didn't live up
to his end of the contract. We know he didn't leave the country,
because mention of him continues to show up in early Del Norte and
Pagosa Springs newspapers.

I have never learned how those editors knew
who came to town, but the papers were full of single paragraphs
describing who the latest visitors might be. Some of the visitors
signed hotel registers. Maybe some of them dropped into the newspaper
office for a visit. I've always had a suspicion that those editors
might have hung out in one or another bar, and talked to folks like
Joe Mann there.

Mann was the subject of a considerable
number of newspaper inches following his participation in the
Montoya-Howe shootout in the fall of 1892. William I. Howe
homesteaded the At Last Ranch on the San Juan West Fork. His brother,
Abe Howe homesteaded a neighboring ranch.

For cattleman William Howe, 1892 was an
awful, terminal year. He was relatively newly married, a new father,
and newly elected as an Archuleta County commissioner. His bride died
giving birth to their first son. Then the son died. On the day of the
shootout, Joe Mann joined brothers Howe and other close friends
including Gean and Hannah Gross holding a wake for the deceased son
in the family home. It is not clear if the building remains.

In any case, someone gazed out the front
window down to the San Juan River to the west. There munching and
moving along slowly were a band of sheep, maybe as many as 10,000
sheep. What happened next depends upon whose testimony you
believe.

The Howe brothers, along with Joe Mann, are
next seen racing horseback across the meadow toward the river and the
sheep. In charge of the sheep is Juan de dios Montoya, who lived with
his prominent father near Lariat (Monte Vista) in the San Luis
Valley.

Juan said he looked up and saw three men
riding like the wind and shooting at him. He was hit, but returned
fire from his buffalo rifle. Juan shot one of the men, now splashing
across the river. The injured man turned his horse, returned to the
other river bank, then slumped to the ground. William Howe was
dead.

Joe Mann testified at the trial held three
years later in Durango, that they had merely approached the sheep
herd with the notion of buying a lamb for vittles. In any case, Juan
Montoya, who was being tried for murder, was set free, the jury
believing he had acted in self-defense.

Our ability to observe the activities of Joe
Mann following the Montoya-Howe shootout is limited to his visits
with various newspaper editors in Pagosa Springs. The comments are
mostly limited to, "Joe Mann" is in town. Finally, in 1912, he died,
pretty much alone except for the care of the Warrs.

Old Joe Mann remains in death what he had
been in life, an enigma. Was he outlaw or adventurer? We will never
know.

Editorial

A job well done

It is accurate to call the last ten years or
so "The Pagosa Springs Era."

Throughout the '90s and into these first few
years of the new century, the town of Pagosa Springs has flourished
in unprecedented ways. The growth of the town, the establishment of
its financial security, the development of its infrastructure, the
expansion of its boundaries have been, to a great extent, the result
of excellent town government and the momentum it has produced.

The town has been blessed during the era
with outstanding elected leadership and with a superb staff. Most
important, the town has had the advantage of superlative
administration in the person of Jay Harrington.

Harrington last week accepted a job as the
town manager of Telluride and will end his tenure here next month. He
will be gone, but not forgotten, for everywhere one looks in Pagosa
Springs, there is evidence of his work.

Harrington first came to town as a student
at the University of Colorado-Denver, working as a planning intern
for the town and Archuleta County. He arrived amidst some of the
transitions that occurred in the early '90s and familiarized himself
with the town and county, the politics, the personalities. When he
left school he moved on to work for La Plata County in the planning
department then, no longer a fledgling, he was hired to fill the
position of town administrator for Pagosa Springs

In his years at this post, Harrington has
been at the center of significant transformation, and most of the
positive things that have occurred here during the last decade owe
much to his contributions to the process.

During his years here, Harrington grew from
a newly ordained manager to an administrator of great skill. His
political acumen is unquestionable, his ability to work with other
agencies and governmental entities is unparalleled, his skill in
handling personnel is highly developed. More than anything,
Harrington has honed formidable talents: among them a fundamental
practicality and sense of what is possible and what is not, and an
ability to project scenarios into the future, assess their viability,
and make them happen.

Look around - at the roads and the highway
projects, at the expansion of the downtown business district and its
success, at commercial and residential annexations, at the
consolidation of town government with the former sanitation district,
at new parks, at the new town hall and the community center, at the
current move to create home rule government- and you see evidence of
Harrington's contributions to the community. Look at the fact the
town secured its place as the major player in the local tax
situation, then forged what is a paradigm cooperative agreement with
the county to share sales tax revenues, and you see his handiwork.
These are but a few of the projects and accomplishments in which this
administrator played a consistently focused part, always seeking
cooperation, keeping the town's best interests at the forefront,
providing counsel and support to the town's elected leaders and
guidance to town staff.

It is time for Harrington to capitalize on
his experience, to move on and realize the rewards that should come
to someone with his talents while he is in his prime.

Pagosa owes a great deal to Jay Harrington.
We thank him for what he has done and wish him the best in his new
role. Telluride has gained the services of an outstanding public
servant and an outstanding person. Its citizens should consider
themselves fortunate.

As for Pagosa, there is a substantial
foundation for those who will guide and manage the town in the
future. The Pagosa Era is ongoing and the town has been prepared for
continued success.

Karl Isberg

Pacing
Pagosa

Discomforting observations

By Richard Walter

Conclusions of the casual observer:

A - Colorado Route 151, south from U.S. 160
and most of the way to Ignacio, is my new nominee as the trashiest
roadway in the region.

I went that way last week and was absolutely
amazed by the litter on both sides, but more obvious on the west
side.

Some stretches have more empty bottles per
frontage foot than the conveyor feeding empties into the filling line
at the Coors brewery in Golden.

It is a shameful sight, particularly bad in
the area from 160 to the entrance to Chimney Rock Archaeological
Area.

That means it is one of the most seen
stretches in the county when visitors come during the summer
months.

It is also the route many people use to get
to Navajo Lake for summer recreation - if the water is sufficient to
support such activity.

B - Mesa Heights may have more dogs running
loose per capita on a weekend day than ever were the problem in
Vista.

Walking through that area Sunday, I was
confronted on seven occasions by dogs running loose. They were not
vicious in appearance, but seemed threatening to one who was bitten
about a year ago.

And their barking set off what sounded like,
but obviously was not, dozens of others which were in yards or tied
up.

I know its spring and animals are as
susceptible to cabin fever as are their humans, but they need to be
controlled.

C - There seem to be more wild animals out
and about this spring than in the past several years.

However, my sightings indicate the great
majority are yearlings or slightly more. Very few adult deer or elk
are romping with the young.

Several large groups between Chimney Rock
and Bayfield had no adults at all.

A huge herd of elk seen south and east of
Pagosa Springs in recent weeks, also is greatly comprised of young,
most of them female.

Perhaps this is the wild animal form of
familial separation and youth education in survival but, if so, I've
not seen it so evident before.

D - Walking the byways of Pagosa Country can
be invigorating, pleasant to the eye, and make you subject to the
attacks of various tiny winged creatures.

Too large to be gnats and too small to fill
the mosquito requirement, they buzz about your head in swarms. They
get in your eyes, ears, and would go up the nostrils, too, if you let
them.

Most are in or near areas of standing or
barely moving water.

Whatever they are, they are persistent. A
swarm will follow you for blocks and, as suddenly as they appeared,
disappear, perhaps to look for fresh meat.

E - The arrival of spring has also signalled
the return of the more obnoxious boom box vehicles on area roadways
... and they know no hours of restriction.

I recently was awakened near midnight by
sounds emanating from a stopped vehicle, sounds loud enough to make
my home shake. And, did you ever notice that those riding in vehicles
sending out such noise have all the windows open so it won't be so
loud inside?

F - Last, but not least, I often wonder
where parents are. Children obviously under 12 are walking the
streets well after dark and being tempted by older youths to get into
trouble. They obviously should be at home.

Legacies

90 years ago

Taken from Pagosa Springs New Era files of April 11, 1913

Since the saloons have been closed there is much talk of the
bootlegging in Pagosa, and although this editor has seen no evidence
of it, reports at least agree that whisky seems to be plentiful. The
ex-saloon keepers say they are hurrying the wholesale houses to
remove the local stocks so that the charge of bootlegging cannot be
fairly aimed at them.

The Nickell lease on the Springs property will soon expire. It is
understood that Mr. Nickell will not have the property under another
lease unless Mr. Boyle makes certain improvements, which is not
likely.

Ike Cox arrived this week to take charge of the Pagosa Lumber
Company's cattle interest as foreman and has been busy for several
days arranging for the work.

75 years ago

Taken from SUN files of April 13, 1928

Ed Pargin has purchased a new McCormick-Deering tractor to handle
a large portion of his ranch work.

The board of county commissioners is accomplishing considerable
constructive road work on almost every main highway in the county. A
Caterpillar was delivered here this week and will be followed by the
delivery of a grader, both of which are being sent here for use on
the state highways by the maintenance department.

The Archuleta County board of commissioners have allotted the sum
of $375 for the purpose of bringing fish fry to the county streams
and also for the purpose of building proper retaining ponds for the
young fry.

50 years ago

Taken from SUN files of April 10, 1953

In talks during the conservation program last month the Forest
Service revealed plans for the timber production on the San Juan
National Forest in this area. These plans call for a sustained yield
program, one that will be permanent and will insure a certain amount
of timber to be cut each year from now on. It would appear that this
would be a chance for the town and county to get another large
permanent type mill.

Archuleta County has suffered another casualty in the fighting in
Korea. Word has been received that Sgt. Donald Archuleta, son of Mr.
and Mrs. L.M. Archuleta, has received serious wounds while fighting
the enemy. He was taken to a rear area hospital where he was treated
and is now on his way home.

25 years ago

Taken from SUN files of April 13, 1978

There will be an open house at The SUN this Saturday, April 15,
with anyone and everyone invited to see the new plant of Archuleta
County's only newspaper.

A school bond election in the amount of $3,300,000 will be held
May 9. The board election is being called for the purpose of
approving bonds for the construction of a new high school. The last
such issue, larger in dollar amount, was soundly defeated. School
officials point out that school enrollment has continued to climb and
that the space situation will be very serious before a new school
building can be finished.

A storm last weekend on Wolf Creek Pass left about eight inches of
new snow. Wolf Creek Ski Area will have its last day of skiing this
Sunday.